Salmon, ID: 3

Right now, I'm having lunch while waiting for the mechanic. He stepped out of the shop to have his haircut. I love small towns.

I'm going to stay another day here.

Salmon, ID: 2

Monday, May 30, 7:10pm; Salmon, ID

Last night I met the off-roaders. They were all really nice. They checked out my car for me (“You didn’t get this thing new, did you?”) and of course it started working just fine, so they couldn’t do all that much. They thought from my description that it could be the starter but that more likely it’s “a fuel problem.” Some think fuel pump. Some think vapor lock. Suggestions have been to give it gas when I start it and to try running a higher octane gas. Oh man! Regular is expensive enough for me. Anyway they fixed a future problem with the computer system and told me the things that the people at Sears probably should have. I think that I got taken advantage of at Sears or, if not, definitely not helped like I should have been. Most of them think it sounds like I didn’t need a battery. Apart from that, they were just good to talk to and fed me (elk! Yum).
This morning I went out with them to go hunt for morales. I rode with Juan and Joanne, who are local. Juan was in the auto business and gave me advice about mechanics in town and offered to come with me if it turns out I end up needing to buy something new. I’m glad for that. On the bad side of things, there weren’t many morales out. Although, I found the first one I ever have. It’s about two inches tall max. The group as a whole (7 people) only found four tiny ones. Then we checked out the wildflowers, and finally went to look at a house that one of them (son of Juan and Joanne) had designed and built. It was a beautiful home with all-stone landscaping.
When we got back to the campground, I talked with Skinner and Gracie (the hosts) for a while. They are from Anchorage, Alaska. The pictures they have of the area are amazing. The mountains look stunning, and they said there are glacier views everywhere. He predicted that I won’t come back.
Speaking of...
I’m having doubts about Fort Collins now. That’s good though, because I want to make a fully thought-out decision. People are so much friendlier out here; there is a small-town feel. You can just chat with anyone and (as demonstrated by the off-roaders) people take an interest in other people. On the other hand, there is more to do in Ft Collins and if I were to end up going to Colo State, I would have more continuity and, in turn, it would be easier on any friendships that I might form. Also, the job outlook seems better in Ft Collins. It certainly is bad in Missoula. Though from what Skinner has said about Alaska... and those great pictures... (freezing, winter darkness, Ashleigh! Energy corp dominated economy!)

Salmon, ID: 1

Sunday, May 29 6:56pm; Salmon, ID

Yay for the campground hosts again. They informed me last night that there is a Chrysler dealership (with which they have happily done business) here in town. That means that I can stay here until Tuesday, which seems safer in terms of the car.

I started out my day with some reading. I was so hooked into my book (Confessions of a Barbarian by Edward Abbey), that I almost couldn’t put it down last night in order to sleep. It is a compilation of his journals. I enjoyed it from cover to cover and am even more excited about his work than I was before. I’m glad that he had a fair amount published and I have quite a bit more of him to read.
Then, I rode my bike into town. My objectives were to get back into the cell service zone so I could call my dad and let him know about the change in plans as far as the car goes, to check out the dealership, and to explore the town a bit. I was also hoping to get a hold of Kathryn to try and solidify some plans, but trouble we’ve been having getting a hold of each other continues. I met my first objective, and I think that my dad feels better knowing that I don’t have to drive with the uncertainty surrounding Connie. I met my second objective; the dealership looks a-okay. I met my third objective: drank a wonderful iced chai while reading* on a sunny deck by the river, almost signed up for a half day float trip (nothing going out unfortunately) and finally found the right gift for my mom (birthday approaching). I am most excited about the gift because (as many of you know) I will not get a gift unless I find the right thing, regardless of holiday/occasion. Oh, I also had a salad at a little local diner, which is in a gas station (I’m sure that I was suffering from severe nutrient deficiency because this was one lackluster salad and it tasted rather good.), like they sometimes do with Subway etc. Since then, I’ve been relaxing back at camp. Reading, writing, no arithmetic.

The rest of the campground is filled with the Snake River Off-roading Club or something like that. I was informed of this by one of the most talkative kids on the planet, who decided that she wanted to meet me yesterday. Now I know all about her family (ex. details of parents’ divorce) and all her friends and crushes. Most excitingly, her name is Rain. Her baby brother’s name is Raider. And there are some kids at school “who have really weird names:” they both have the name Princess in front. For example: Princess Ashleigh Sewell, except that the non-princess portion of the names was too unusual for me to remember.

*My new books are History of Western Philosophy por Bertrand Russell, which was recommended to me some time ago by Mark and I’m finally getting to and Oh Pioneers! by Cather, who is one of my favorites. New reading material means, probably, a change in tone and/or style with my journal. I’m so impressionable.

Missoula, MT - Salmon, ID

Saturday, May 28 6:35pm; Salmon, ID

Yesterday afternoon and today. Whoa.
I don’t know what my problem is, but I sure drive a lot. After stopping in Bozeman, I kept on to Missoula where I stayed in the Bel Aire Motel because I was a) tired and b) scared that the “memory of food” would be on my clothes or something and a grizzly would find and eat me. I probably would have been equally safe in the motel and the wilderness, though. It’s not that the motel was especially shady or anything, but it did have weekly rates and there was a cop questioning people there this morning. I don’t know why but overheard some stuff about reckless Honda driving. Oh, also the whole thing was lit up with pink neon lights after dusk, a rosy surprise.
Missoula is incredible. A major difference between Montana and Colorado is the greenness of Montana. Missoula is filled with big old maple trees. It’s surrounded by mountains and filled with cute shops (gear shops, bike shops, book shops, juice bars...). I talked to a woman working at the gear shop and she said that she really likes the town and knows multiple people who came to visit and never left. I must admit I was tempted to do the same. Good atmosphere, tons of stuff to do outdoors and low cost of living. I think it’s gonna be Fort Collins, though, for now. I could see myself living in WY, MT or (from what I can see now) ID someday, but it just doesn’t feel right now.
This morning (actually started yesterday) I had my first major glitch of the trip. That’s right: car trouble. Connie just didn’t want to start and I had to call AAA to come get a jump. That means waiting, waiting, waiting. Luckily I have incredible patience and forty-five minutes isn’t that long. It wasn’t too bad. After we got it started (took a bit of fortitude), I headed to Sears to get the battery checked and then replaced. That means I had lunch at the mall. Gyros are so yummy!
From there I drove south on Hwy 93, which I strongly recommend (esp. the Idaho section). It’s a great scenic route along the Salmon River. The hills/mountains along the way are amazing.
I’m camping on some BLM land just outside of Salmon, ID tonight. The campground is technically full, but thankfully the hosts are very nice and are going to let me set up on a little piece of lawn that’s not really a site (their suggestion) and therefore free. Yes!
Unfortunately, the car situation is not resolved and I’m still having quite a time getting her started. So the plan is to get to somewhere with a Chrysler dealership (Idaho Falls?) and stay there until Tuesday. Drat bad timing and federal holidays!

Tetons, Yellowstone, Bozeman MT

I spent most of yesterday (Thurs) morning in Lander. (*Note* I opened the hot chocolate this morn -> I'm in the cold north) That's a great place. Actually, I spent most of my time at NOLS. First, I went to stock up on some food. I love bulk. Then I went down the hall to get topo maps for my backpacking trip with Kathryn. That took a while because if you can find the ones that you need in this huge (but only semi-organized bookcase), you can get them for free. I needed four maps. I found one, and spent a while making sure the others weren't in there. Now, I have all the maps we should need. Good. From there, I walked down the street to the alumni office to get stickers. I got a shiny one! (Forgot to tell Dre and Lee: saw Weekly World News story about a shiny baby born somewhere, "When I look at my little bundle of joy, I can see my reflection!") I spent a little while in the office talking to the guy there about differnt sticker options, what to do in the Tetons and how I need to go on an alumni trip. We agreed I should go on a trip and discussed the options. I was more than tempted to sign up for mountain biking on the north rim next week. I probably would have done it, but I'm too excited about my backpacking plans. Eventually, I had all the swag I wanted, he showed my a beautiful webcam shot of the Tetons (good weather!) and I was headed north.
I had a short, uneventful, but beautiful drive to the Tetons. I finally got to break out my National Parks pass and felt extra-special for getting there before it expires on June 1. I guess it's not that big a deal since I plan to renew anyway... The tetons are STUNNING. They are so extreme and unique looking. I wanted to hike, but most of the hikes there are pretty long and there is a lot of snow. I didn't really have enough time. (I might go back.) So, I just did a part of the loop around Jenny Lake, which provided me with lots of photo ops but not much of a workout.
From Teton NP, I headed to Yellowstone, our famous and highly-visited national park extraordinaire. I have to say that I was rather disappointed...at first. After the Tetons, southern Yellowstone is just a bunch of hills covered with dead trees (somewhat recent fire it looked like). As I made it to the NW part of the park I began to see what some of the fuss is about (still not as cool as Teton). Yellowstone appeals to the geologist and zoologist in all of us.
My first stop was Old Faithful. Now, the geyser bit is pretty cool, but I had a lot of fun people watching, too. I just moseyed up from the parking lot and waited (maybe 50 min). I read the signs (said you can't really predict the next blast and to stay off the geothermal ground) and walked around but mostly just sat and waited, watching the steam pour out of O.F. After a while, a small crowd of people from the nearby lodges wandered over. I guess they have the predicted blast-off posted somewhere in there. Man! People are impatient. Now, I will grant that it was a bit chilly, but it was like these people expected O.F. to go at exactly 8:05pm. This is geology people! not the train schedule.
"What time did they say it would go?" "8:05." "It's 8:06!!!!!"
Actually, my favorite overhead conversation was off-topic.
mom: Why don't you sit by your sister to help keep her warm?
sis (~12 yr old): He won't. He thinks I have girl cooties.
mom: (to son): Well, you're sitting by me.
son (~8): That's different; you're a woman.
-no response-
Kids are funny. Anyway, I did end up seeing the geyser go off. Not bad. Then I went to camp. Here's something I bet not very many other people have done: I walked up to a Yellowstone on-grounds campground without a reservation and got a site. Yes!


This morning I woke up to one of the most dreaded of backpacking sights. No, not a bear. Frost on my tent. Oh man! I hate to pack a frosty tent. My hand get freezing cold to the point of pain and/or numbness. This wasn't as bad as backpacking, though, because I was able to warm up in the car. The most exciting part of packing was that a small herd of bison wandered into the area. I watched the bison and their babies from pretty close up. That was sweet. (Other animals I saw: more bison and bison babies, wapiti elk, cow moose and blue heron. No bears, no wolves. Bummer.) On my way out of Yellowstone, I stopped at the Artist's Paint Pots and saw the boiling mud, which is so awesome. There's burning hot mud flinging around and this great blop-blop sound. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't look so great. I'm goint to post it anyway.

Right now, I'm in Bozeman, MT at their incredible co-op. Great fresh smoothies and free wireless. Right on. I'll probably head to Missoula soon.

southern WY

Wednesday, May 25 7:50pm; Lander, WY

Right now I’m sitting on a boulder next to the Popo Agie River (pronounced po-PAH-ja with the ja like it is in Raja). The river is huge right now and it’s all I can hear, no wind, no typing. I’m right by the place where my NOLS course started off last summer, on the border of the Shoshone National Forest.
Driving in today was great. I had forgotten how amazing Wyoming is. It’s incredibly beautiful with huge open skies and exposed hills and plateaus of rock of all different colors. I really like it. The winters here really must be something to keep almost all human life away from permanent resident status. I retraced part of the drive I did last summer, so I got to see Independence Rock again. Driving that road is like jumping into the 3-D version of the Oregon Trail game from back in the day. Luckily I avoided all the classic pitfalls: cholera, broken leg, dysentery, oxen death and the dreaded broken wagon wheel. I didn’t have to hunt bison for food either, but I did eat animal crackers.
The reason I am in Lander is to do some research for a little backpacking trip that Kathryn and I are going to do in a week, when she gets off work. The forest service office is here, and I’m hoping to access some of NOLS’s resources as well. I think it should be pretty easy, and I can get on my way to the Tetons and Yellowstone without much delay.

This morning I had a (phone) job interview with the USDA rural development program in Boise, ID. I think that it went well. I got lots of compliments on my answers, the director liked the questions that I asked of him, and they asked me for another reference. They told me to expect to hear back by June 13. The job sounds good to me, but if I get an offer I’ll have to think about the possible effects it will have on my graduate school plans. It would be a long-term commitment.

Ft. Collins, CO

Yesterday (Monday), I visited Fort Collins and Colorado State University. I would call the day a success. The day started off on a good foot because of the cruel nature of people (specifically me). Why is it that we get such a good feeling of driving out of the city during rush hour when everyone else is "driving" (sittle in idle cars on the freeway) the other way? That's right, I was glad at my own relative fortune right off the bat. PLUS, I was driving toward the mountains and all these poor folks were driving not only away from the mountains but toward work.
That's not really any of the good part of the story, though. Once in Ft Collins I did the little info session/tour at CSU. Now, as I knew would be the case, it was all geared toward prospective frosh, but I did it anyway just to get a feel for things.
The tour was the main reason I did it. UMich has a weird campus, weird in a good way. I forget that sometimes. CSU has your standard campus-is-seperate-from-the-town layout. I would describe it as beautiful, but with ugly buildings. Pretty much all the buildings are ugly, but they have lots of trees, open green space and mountains on the horizon.
By the end of the tour, I way rather hungry. I went back to the admissions office to ask the girl working there about restaurants. She didn't know about any middle eastern places (I was craving), but did recommend a deli across the street. I liked the sounds of the deli, but decided to explore the town a little as I looked for lunch. I wanted to look around, and I must have heard ten times that Ft Collins has the second most restaurants per capita in the US (behind San Fran). During my exploration I was reminded of how sweet the town is. I found a great little food co-op that had a good bulk section AND stocked Boulder Ice Cream. What more could you want? The old town area is really beautiful. There is a Waffle House right across the street from campus. Surely, I'm forgetting other good things. (My fav brewery is there, too, but I didn't see it.) I ended up having a great sandwich at the deli the woman had recommended. (Lee, I saw a place called Big City Burrito that looked a lot like Big Ten, small and packed with people.)
After lunch, I skateboarded over to the graduate school office and the Ag Econ dept. That is to say, I found the building that houses ag econ. I was wandering around there somewhat puzzled (it's not in the bldg directory) when I saw a woman and asked her if she knew where the dept was. Turned out that she was an ag econ grad student. She walked me over and introduced me to some of the other grad students and to her advisor. So, I got to talk to one of the professors for about an hour. It was really helpful, even though he wasn't the guy I would work with if I were there (he was out of the office). I really liked the sounds of the program itself and the atmosphere (laid back).

I'm quite excited about Ft Collins in general right now.

Denver/Boulder/Estes

I am in Denver. I got here late Thursday night.

Friday

On friday I went to school with Kathryn and volunteered there. It was a half day and field day, so I spent half the day playing with frisbee golf supplies and half the day doing non-teaching teacher stuff. That means cleaning and sorting. The school is pre-K through eighth grade, so I saw a lot of cute kids that morning. I even had a great talk about bikes with a little four-year-old named Emily. We both have two bikes, so we had a lot in common. Though I think I lost the cool contest because one of her bikes is a Barbie bike. Dang! I did win a lot of points with the other kids because I can juggle.
After school got out, all the teachers (and I) had pizza and cookies. Yum! Then after school would have gotten out if it had been a full day, all the teachers (and I) went out to happy hour at a nearby Mexican joint. I had a delicious Pina Colada. Then we went out to a bar that was really hoppin' because they were having a luao. That meant we had to pay a cover, but it was only four dollars and the party included a buffet of great food. Definitely worth it. I have to say, though, that I would have liked the bar better if there had been dancing. That night we drove to Estes and slept at our favorite campsite (Cpt. Jack's Point).

Saturday

Saturday we got up and drove into Estes to one of the greatest coffee shops on Earth: Kind Coffee. I had a Chai Latte that rocked my face off. We met Charles (Kathryn's B-Friend) there for a hike. We did one in the park from Bear Lake to Bierstadt Lake then on the Storm Pass trail back to Bear Lake parking. I did this all with the biggest blister known to man, which I think had taken root on my Lighthouse hike in Palo Duro. I had done it up with Molefoam etc. and didn't do too much damage. What I did learn and made me very sad is that I need to hike with poles because of my stinkin' knee, which is also keeping me from running. It frustrates me to the max. That evening we ate dinner with Charles's parents and slept in Kathryn's truck in their driveway.

Sunday (today)

We got up this morning and headed out of Estes after picking up some cinnamon rolls at the Donut Haus for breakfast. We spent the day in Boulder. We started at a coffee place (Can you tell that Kathryn is a coffee drinker?) and I had another Chai, but of course, it wasn't as good as Kind Coffee's. This coffee joint is next to the Boulder Ice Cream scoop shop, and obviously we HAD to go over there and have a snack. Oh glory! Let's see...after that we mostly did shopping. I got a new tie, skirt, warm hat (wasn't thinking clearly, packed all mine and left them at home) and the requisite hiking poles (on sale at REI!). Kathryn got a bunch of great clothes for only a hundred bucks, an incredible deal on a pack at a used gear shop, a first aid kit and a little purse. Then we went out to Noodles. Mmm. Now I'm back in Denver and Kathryn and her housemate Danielle are at mass.

Tomorrow I plan to visit Ft. Collins, the home of Colo State University and one of the towns on my short list. I know that Kathryn is pulling for it. I also got a positive review from one of her fellow teachers who had lived there for a while. After that, I'm not so sure if I will move on or not. I NEED to have cell phone service on Wednesday because I have a phone interview for a job in Boise. I don't want to chance it by being in WY - a vast cellular abyss and my probable location if I leave on Tuesday morning. Besides, the Denver area is fun.

Austin - Taos

Okay, I have a little catching up to do.

I told you all about Austin. From there my travels take us to Inks Lake state park, which is not too far away (NW). I was driving in sort of late, planning to stay in Longhorn State camprgound, which is a few miles away. Much to my dismay it was closed and I feared that I would have nowhere to camp (I thought they would all have the same close time). Luckily there was an amazing sunset going on to help lift my spirits. I even pulled over and took a picture, which you can see in the updated trip 1 pictures.
My first impression of Inks Lake campground was great; it was open! From there, it was a rollercoaster of emotions (well, a subdued rollercoaster). On my way to get a site I had to stop to go to the bathroom. The stalls were a little on the small side. "How small were they?" you ask. Let's test your test taking skills.

The bathroom stalls were SO small I...
A) considered not shutting the door at all.
B) accidentally dipped the edge of my skirt in the can.
C) couldn't even sit down and had to pee standing up.
D) all of the above

Shortly after that little episode, I saw my first real live armadillo running across the road (Apparently this is the habitat of the armadillo. I had seen countless roadkill brothers before this one.) So that was thrilling, but it was dark and I just wanted to get to camp. I set up and things went really smoothly, but I would be lying if I said that another armadilllo didn't sneak up on me and try to sabotage my camp. Pesky little buggers (maybe I just got freaked out...).

Okay, my notes aren't complete for this next part so I'm not exactly sure that this all happened on the road the next morning, but I think that's the right placement. I passed through Hico, TX where they had huge banners hanging all over town announcing the "Hico Beef Symposium." Unfortunately, I missed it, so I don't really know what a beef symposium is. I also saw a monumentally large wooden rocking chair (5-6 storeys maybe), a road named Butts road (I double checked to make sure it wasn't Butte, and a motel called the "It'll do Motel." Yeah, I'm pretty sure that stuff was between Inks Lake and my next stop, Palo Duro Canyon state park.

Palo Duro was my first two night stay - oh glorious relaxation! I do have a little trouble gearing down, but it's great once I do. This is one beautiful state park. The canyon is amazing. It's huge (Jack told me 2nd largest after The Grand) and gets quite a bit of rain so it's very green (see pics). There is mountain biking and hiking and other stuff, too, in which I didn't take part. Tuesday was the day I spent there, so I'll just lay it out for you.
I decided to live like a desert creature and be active in the twilight and dawn and rest in the heat of the day. I woke up, had a quick breakfast and set out on my mountain bike. Well, I've gotta say that my ambition was a little beyond my skill level and the first trail I picked left me covered with red dirt, scratches and bruises. That was just one fall. So I tried another trail. That went a little better, but I didn't ride as much as I could have because I was being too conservative. The fall had freaked me out. Then I came back to home sweet campsite and took it easy under my little awning for many hours. I practiced my guitar, read (Abbey), wrote and watched my surroundings. There was a ladder-backed woodpecker taking it to a tree right next to my sight and I watched it pop in and out of its hole and eat whatever bugs it had found - pretty sweet. There was a lot of wildlife there: birds (loads of turkeys), lizards (saw my first horny toad), snakes (though I didn't see one), bats and dung beetles (so cool). I also learned a new flower (see pics) and found a new (to me) variety of penstamen. Once the sun started going down and the temperature went with it, I set out to do the lighthouse hike. I think it's the premier hike of the park. Lighthouse Rock is a prominent structure in the canyon and you can see it on my pics page The hike was pretty good, but there's not much to say since I just bagged it. That evening, I came back, showered and met my neighbors. One of them, Stephen (Steven?) had a telescope and I got to see the moon's craters, which was rockin' (haha). We talked for a while then I went to bed.

Today: I'M IN THE MOUNTAINS!

I'm sitting in the town square of Taos, NM right now. I guess posh resort towns provide wireless internet in the public square. Awesome! The trip here was pretty good. I am glad to be driving shorter days now. Some roadside highlights were a pink house with a red roof (maybe an example I can follow one day...), metal cacti (in the grasslands...?) and a lovely sign which you can see in the pictures. The major disappointment of the drive is that there was no "Welcome to New Mexico: the blah blah blah state" sign, just a sign to inform me that I had crossed into the mountain time zone. That's good to know, I guess, but I would have preferred the NM sign (the line is the same).
As I was driving across the grasslands I knew that the mountains were just ahead of me, but there was limited sight distance because of some cloudiness. That gave the illusion of these huge mountains looming in the distance and it was rather exciting. I was actually on the edge of my seat in anticipation. When I finally did see the snow-capped peaks, my heart started jumping around and throwing confetti. That sure was a strange feeling. Also in the grasslands, in the pre-Cimarron area, there are fences all along the road because of the ranching. Actually, there are fences like that in TX, too, but the roads are wider and who knows what else. Anyway, so I'm driving along and I see these deer (antelople? I meant to look them up before I wrote) and I had this weird sensation that the fence was around the road. I was the one fenced in, close on each side a was strung a rack of barbed wires but on the other side was just a big, open space. I guess if there are any fences at all we are all fenced in. It just depends on how you look at it.

I also visited the famed Philmont Scout Ranch. I drove though a much bigger portion than I had on my last time in the area and I stopped at the visitors' center. That place is radical! The guy at the museum/store/visitors center asked me if I was staff, and for that moment I really wished that I was. So many cool people to meet there I bet. And instant huge-ization of your trail family. What's more important than that?

Texas

Obviously, I have hours and hours of time for reflection and this is what I figured out today. I like Texas. I know. I'm not talking about Austin either. Yeah, Austin was like a little taste of home, but I've gotta say that I wasn't actually too crazy about it (I realized as I saw more of it and reflected later). It's too big and sprawly. I'm sure it could be nice enough, but I'm tempted to say that I liked College Station better. The town was certainly nothing special. It's got that chain restaurant sort of atmosphere to it, but I the people were really nice. Even when I wasn't with Jack (who knows everybody).
I liked the area west of Austin a lot. It's really beautiful and the towns are cute. I've gotta say, I dig that southern hospitality.

Right now, I'm still on my way to Palo Duro at the poshest rest stop I've ever seen. It has wireless internet, touch screen weather stations and driving direction/map stations, and a big play structure for the kids. It's also all new and shiny. Anyway, my butt was getting tired so I thought I'd update the blog (I was going crazy because I realized I wrote homonym where I should have written homophone in an earlier post).

Peace

When it rains it pours

Okay, just one more post for today because I can.

So I was planning to spend one more night in College Station in order to check out A&M in the morning, but I didn't. I went to the visitors center today and talked to the guy there, which was moderately informative. I don't know. I just wasn't into looking and when I got out the map I wanted to get going. Besides, Jack went home, I didn't want to have to find a place to stay in town and I was itching to camp.
Right now, I am in Austin which I will deem the Ann Arbor of TX. Actually, it's bigger than Ann Arbor, but no matter. Because of the similarities I feel as at home here as I think I can (ex. I paid $6 to park). As I drove this way, I picked up the UTexas NPR station roots music program. It was chill. Plus it was called American Routes (that's right ladies, a homonym!). Anyway, I've seen lots of cute little shops around campus and only walked about four blocks. Other super awesome stuff: the UT bookstore is a co-of and there is a woman's co-of right next door (clothes etc), there are street vendors selling jewelry, it's temperate (at least right now), and there are beautiful hills to the west. Right now, I'm enjoying the free wireless, Jet on the radio and veggie sandwich of Texadelphia (sandwich/beer spot). I'm updating the picture site, too. Well, good for you... I heard someone say...

Tomorrow or maybe the next day, depending on how I feel, I should be at Palo Duro Canyon as per Jack's recommendation.

posting

Alright, here's the story with posting: I'm writing my posts as I go and posting them en masse as I find internet access. So, the day on which I wrote it will be within the post and the time at which it actually gets online will be in the heading. I know that it gives a lot of reading all at once, but that's what we've got.

15 Saturday

05.15.05 9:28am

I made it to my first planned stop yesterday: College Station, TX. I’m here to visit my friend, Jack. I thought that I was going to see his final review, but I had the day wrong and it was yesterday. I thought that it was today, so I didn’t get in until yesterday evening. I did get to see his parents for a little while, though, because they hadn’t gone home yet.
Yesterday was a tiring day of driving. My plan has been to take shorter driving days and fill the space with more fun time once I get past here, and I am ready for that. Unfortunately, Texas is HUGE and I may have to put in one more pretty long day to get across to a good place to camp. I am going to stay here for another night, though, so maybe some more rest will make it better. I am staying because I want to check out the school and nothing is open on Sunday.
I’m not too sure I could really come here. It’s basically the antithesis of Ann Arbor. I would say it is a bastion of conservatism, but I don’t know if something can qualify as a bastion if the surrounding area is somewhat similar. It also gets mind-numbingly hot and humid here, and I’m a sensitive baby. Oh well, it’s a good Ag school and so I shall give it its due consideration.
I don’t really remember too much from yesterday’s drive, but I do remember Hot Springs, AR. It’s a pretty sweet little city. Next to some gorgeous hills. Large, impressive historic area. Appeared to be bike-friendly. The only problem is that it’s, as far as I can tell, impossible to successfully navigate. I was hoping to find the National Park visitors’ center. You’d think that they would make that especially accessible with good signage, etc. Well, no. Yes they had signs, but I can’t say they were all that elucidating. They had them at forks in the road. The sign would be placed equidistant between the tines of the fork and point straight forward, HOT SPRINGS NP VISITORS CENTER. Not helpful. I even made it into the park from two different entrances and didn’t find the thing. Eventually, I gave up in the interest of time. One thing I will say about traveling alone and this situation is that you avoid that awful tension that arises from getting lost. It’s just you and you can be chill or tense. It’s totally up to you.

Texas really is another world, culturally speaking. People you don’t know will talk to you for one thing and people will call you ma’am for another thing. Instance one: I was at the grocery store in Texarkana fixin’ to buy some jelly, cherries and Ziploc bags. As I was checking out, the cashier called me ma’am probably five times. Whoa. At home I won’t be ma’am for another maybe thirty years at least. Instance two: I was at the gas station and I went inside to go to the bathroom. On the way in, this guy by the slurpee machine gave me this little “howdy” nod, which I returned. On the way out, just as I got to the door, he asks, “How far you ride them bikes?” Now, I must say that this wasn’t the clearest question. Which bike? Was that, “How far have you ridden?” or, “How far do you typically ride in one go?” So I did the best I could, briefly turned and said, “It depends.” Well, clearly I failed. He just tilted his head down a bit and slowly shook it giving off this air of extreme disappointment. I’m not exactly sure where I went wrong, but I think it has something to do with my non-conversational tone/diction. Texas lesson one: F.

Sorry, I don’t have my map with me right now.

13 Friday

05.13.05 8:22pm (CST)

Today involved a lot of driving. I went from southern Indiana to western Arkansas; I made it! I don’t have many stories from today because I took a lot of the bigger roads because I had a lot of miles to cover.
I had a first today. I used a full-service gas station for the first time. It was pretty sweet. On the one hand I would have preferred to get out and do it myself because my butt was tired of sitting, but on the other hand it was fun to have a chat with the pump attendant guy. There was what you might call a language barrier between us. I know I could hardly understand a word he said with his accent and I imagine he felt the same about me (or at least that I spoke way too quickly). I don’t know, though, because he said that he and his wife had lived in Michigan (St. Johns) for a while. He must have started out in the south to have an accent like he did, though. As a side note, it’s interesting that the full-service station gas was the same price as the self-service. I think its possible because they must pay the attendants the same thing as a convienance store clerk (there’s no store and the pump attendant collects the money).
Arkansas is a new state for me so I can check it off the list. Something tells me that Hawaii will be the last one to fall. My main weakness is the northeastern states right now, but Dre and I would both like to visit Maine. So, I think a number of those will be taken care of.
There are some things in Arkansas that have cool names. For one think, I am writing this on the shores of Lake Nimrod. The best town name I saw today was Success, AK. The road signs had arrows: this way to Success. Who knew it could be that easy? I also saw the Current River, which I think is an apt name. There was another town called Alicia (I took a picture of it because I thought it might be cool for you to have, Lee).
I heard some interesting things on the radio today. The best one was that there is a theme park in IN called Holiday Park (or something close to that) and the town it occupies is called Santa Clause. That’s not the genius part, though. They give out free sunscreen. Brilliant. They also give free unlimited pop. I had a good laugh listening to some ultra-conservative talk shows (including the funniest which was a Pentacostal sermon).
The Nimrod Lake campground is posh. There is a bathroom with showers!! The cashier guy said that he didn’t “feel good about [me] staying here alone on a Friday night” and said that I should take a spot next to a family that is camping. I could tell it would make him feel better so I agreed. I think this family has a thousand kids or something, so I’ve been able to hear reenactments of various Star Wars scenes. Score! The best thing, though, is that I used my new stove for the first time and had some delicious pasta. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Today’s route:
50 W to
SR 231 S
Fed 64 W
Fed 41 S
I-64 W
I-57 S
MO 60 W
Fed 67 S
Fed 64 W
I-40 W
Fed 64 W
AR 9 S
AR 10 W
AR 7 S

12 Thursday

05.13.05 6:36am

I’ve gotta say that it feels strange to take out my laptop while I’m staying here in a rustic campground, but it’s all in the name of keeping everyone on top of my trip. As we all know, I set off yesterday. I didn’t get going as early as I’d hoped, but I had already sort of revised the schedule that morning around 2am, which was when I got to bed after so much packing. Let’s just say that it didn’t go as smoothly as planned (thanks to Dre for the probably-life-saving moral and physical support).
Eventually, though, (aka 9:30) I did get out of town, but it wasn’t exactly a clean break. I got off at Baker Road for gas. I got off at Fletcher Road because I noticed a problem with the bike rack. I got off at M-52 to check and make sure I had successfully fixed the rack. I had, and so my next stop was outside Auburn, IN at what I think is the smallest rest stop I’ve ever visited. It was just a little building that can best be described as modeled after those old high school bathrooms. Anyway, they had space outside for lunch and a nap, but I didn’t use it because it was rather cold. I ate and slept in the car. Later, I stopped for gas in Maxwell, IN, which I recommend to all you folks who search crazily for a cheap fill-up. $1.93.
On these stops I realized, “Connie, we’re not in Ann Arbor anymore.” You’d think that a person decked out in pink with short spikey hair was some sort of alien. Actually, it probably is. Let’s just say that I got some prolonged glances thrown my way a few times. This can only get better as I head south, I’m sure.
Speaking of heading south, I’m sure some of you fine folks know how I feel about Waffle House (Waffle Hizzouse for some). Well, as I drove along I thought, ‘Hey, I’ll be in Waffle House country soon. That will truly be a positive sign of my progress.” Well, not long after those very thoughts arose I saw a terrible thing. It gave the appearance of a tried-and-true Waffle House, but NO! It was an old Waffle House building changed to a “Waffle & Steak.” What’s going on here? Is this just because Indianans don’t like waffles or is the chain as a whole in crisis? If the former, then why replace Waffle House with an even shadier knock off? It’s all rather perplexing, but don’t worry. I’m on the case.
Speaking of worry, you know how when you’re driving along and you see one of those cars plastered with STUDENT DRIVER you get just a touch nervous? Well, let me tell you, you get a bit more nervous when those signs are plastered all over a full-sized semi. Yikes! I’ve never seen that before. Nothing happened; I just thought I’d mention it.
It’s already like summer here. It’s greener than at home and I am batting misquitoes away and listening to some notalby loud birds as I type. Luckily, it was not too hot to enjoy my sleeping bag. Or my tent, which was wonderful in its first day of use outside. I have never used a tent with a vestibule before, and I can see after just one day that it is the utmost in luxury. In the rain/snow I’m sure its benefits are just plain awesome.
A couple funny notes from the road. There’s a town in IN called Gnaw Bone. The residents there seem to have embraced it. The stores are called things like Gnaw Bone Grocery and Gnaw Bone Hardware. I was hoping that the church would be called Gnaw Bone Christian Parish or something like that, but it was called Pleasant Valley church. Come on! Where’s your sense of adventure Gnaw Bone church-goers? Also on the subject of churches, I saw a great sign: There’s no high like the most high. Oh man! All in all, it was a good day, and there should be more in store on today’s drive as I hope to make it to western Arkansas.

For those of you following along at home:
Leave Ann Arbor on I94 west to
I-69 S
IN state road 9 S
IN state road 46 W
IN state road 136 S (amazingly beautiful drive)
IN state road 5o W to camp in Martin State Forest

I'm Off

Bye Everyone!

After some truly crazy days I am finally going to start my trip. Actually, I hope to take off within the hour. I will update as soon as possible.

Green Day concert

Green Day rocked my face off!


Last night Dre, Lee and I went to see Green Day (for a small donation of our time!). It was super awesome, definitely beyond my expectations. They brought tons of energy, played new stuff and old stuff and even gave a kid in the audience a guitar (after brining him and others on stage to play). I screamed a lot, jumped around a lot and may have permanently damaged my hearing. Time will tell. Anyway, it was so fun, definitely worth the drive to Grand Rapids and worth short-term hearing problems .
Before the show we had some fun and funny times. Of course, singing together in the car is always good, but the real excitement came when we got to Grand Rapids. First of all, don't go there to eat on a Saturday night expecting a lot of restaurants to be open. We walked around at five-ish looking for somewhere to eat and didn't have much luck. Why would you close your eatery on Saturday at dinner time when a huge attraction is taking place within blocks of your establishment? Anyway, we finally found a place, and they did takeout even though they looked sort of fancy pants. So, we waited at the bar for our food. Now, the lighting in the bar area was bright and complete, but there must have been something in the air that made it impossible to make accurate judgments based on appearances. This weird guy comes in to the place and sits down at the bar, so there we are in this order: Alicia, Dre, me, empty seat and weird guy. Not shockingly (because you already know he has gained the nickname weird guy) he starts talking to me. He throws out a little Hi what are you in town for oh that's nice sort of business. Then he says something like, "I have a question for you." Now comes the great part. He's talking to me like we're in on some kind of big secret and Dre and Lee can't hear him, "Now, when I was their age I didn't know this... Do you know that there is a word in the English language that doesn't rhyme with any other word?" WAIT! What am I? Dre and Alicia's mom!? First of all, they're both older then me. Second of all, even if he had judged the situation correctly, is this some sort of come on? After he left without paying his whole bill, Alicia referred to her correct answer to the "riddle" (orange) saying, "Take that! I'm a child prodigy!"

Birthday!

I had a radical birthday. I even celebrated for two days. On Thursday, I went to Two Wheel because they were having a big cinco de mayo sale. I bought new pedals for my road bike and new shoes for my mountain bike, plus I got a free taco because this sale is a big deal at the shop. Later, I went home for my party with the family and family friends. It was super sweet with good food and good people. I saw a lot of people that I haven't seen in a while and a lot of people who I saw for the last time before I leave next Thursday (lots of overlap between these categories). Oh, I also had delicious cake and homemade ice cream and got presents. Yay!
On Friday, my actual birthday, I went back to Two Wheel to get my pedals all sorted out and get my bike refit. That's right, I went to the bike shop two days in a row. Awesome. Then, I accidentally made Alicia walk across town for no reason (ah, miscommunication) before heading off to REI and the skate shop with her and my mom. At REI I bought most of the last little items I'll need for my trip plus some totally radical chopsticks that I didn't NEED per say, but that I couldn't pass by. At the skate shop we were helped out by this funny guy and Alicia got a sweet board for cruising around town. When I got home, Dre, Alicia and I went to walk through the fountain, which is a UM tradition for graduates (Carolyn came too but didn't walk the fountain - next year). Then we went out for Chinese and everyone's food was tasty. Then we came back to the apartment to watch a DVD and have more cake and ice cream (Yes!) and more presents (Yes!). Jacko even called from TX.
I would say the two days were a rousing success and I had a ton of fun. Thanks to everyone who planned and came to parties and who gave gifts!

driver's ed

I think that we need to reform the driver's education in this state and, I'm sure, most (probably all) of the rest. I propose that we add a requirement: a person who is attempting to obtain a driver's license must ride a bike on the road. The candidates should ride under average conditions. There should be little to no shoulder, some potholes, moderate traffic, some city riding some country riding (as available). The benefits of the program are two-fold. First and foremost, by riding down the road for a few miles the drivers-to-be will get first hand experience with how much a little consideration for cyclists can do. It can make the difference between thinking 'damn cars' and 'sweet georgia brown I hope I survive this'. More importantly it can make a difference in how many cyclists actually do "survive this". I know that I have become a much safer driver with regard to city cyclists since I have had experiece riding in Ann Arbor. This is a good thing for us all. Second, more people would get an introduction to cycling, which is what all the cool kids should be doing these days. Granted: they might not look so favorably upon it since it is a requirement. But, how could they not love it once they're in the saddle?

This is dedicated to the ONE gravel train driver guy who was nice to me on Pleasnt Lk today.

Graduation is over. I feel the same.

I'm just waiting to start my roadtrip. I know that once I go I'll think of a hundred things that I should have done in Ann Arbor, but that will happen no matter what I do now. My most exciting news is that I'm going to have a huge birthday party and that I bought a guitar.

The birthday party: The birthday party is exciting because I didn't know it was going to happen until Sunday. My usual birthday observances include a dinner with my immediate family and my grandparents (aunts/uncles/cousins optional). We eat something of my choosing for the entre and then we have homemade ice cream and some sort of cake (often carrot) for dessert. Well, I was, until Sunday, under the impression that this year would be much the same. I had talked with my mom about having dinner with Grandma and Grandpa on Thursday; I just had to pick what we would eat. I was having trouble choosing, so my mom thought she would help me decide, "Keep in mind that about thirty-five people are coming over." What!? Apparently, there are people out there who want to celebrate the anniversary of my birth and my graduation with me as well as see me off. Sweet! I just forgot to ask who all was coming. Time will tell...

My guitar: My guitar was a gift from Dre's dad and stepmom. Thanks guys! I had been borrowing a guitar of theirs as I tried to learn how to play. Since I could not very well take it along with me on my trip, the money for one of my own was a great gift. So now I have a guitar of my own and my cool girl stock just keeps rising and rising. As soon as there is a good picture taken of it, you all can have a look.
Some people might say I have too many toys, but that is just silly.

Commenced

I graduated yesterday. I don't think it's technically official, but the whole ceremony bit is over. We may not have had the best speakers, and we may not have had the best weather. But we stood up and sat down with hundreds of other people like real professionals. Really, though, it was pretty sweet, especially since I didn't think I was going to make it to the ceremony at all.

No, no of course I am not one of those people who was doubting I'd pass that last required course. Rather, I thought I would not physically make it to the stadium. First, "they" were calling for terrible thunderstorming cold weather, and, after careful consideration, we decided it wouldn't be worth attending in the rain. When we woke up at six-thirty AM to check on the clouds and call parents to let them know the verdict, it was miraculously dry and the chance of rain had been reduced from ninety percent to thirty percent. Hey hey hey, first obstacle: overcome. Obviously, it was then time to start getting ready to go the stadium. I didn't have a lot to do: shower, get dressed, iron my gown, brush my teeth and do the dishes. I had about an hour and forty-five minutes, what I considered to be ample time. Well, it was the cursed dish doing that undid me. I was just trying to be a good hostess and get everything together when the fateful moment occurred. As I was stepping from the pantry to the main room I stubbed my toe on the little step-up. No big deal, I thought. Quite painful, but oh well. That's when I looked down and saw that I was bleeding everywhere. Oh crap. So, I had to go wash and dress the wound, which took a while because between the broken toenail and the blood I was having trouble figuring out where the wound actually was. It was somewhat hectic; it was nearing departure time. Thankfully, the dishes are not imperative and Alicia volunteered to iron my gown. I limped down to the Big House and made it on time. My degree is in the mail.

To see pictures click the link at right. Happy May Day.